Promoting the frontrunners - EU ecolabel criteria requirements on the use of substances for printers, copiers and multifunc-tional devices (MFDs)

The EU Ecolabel promotes products showing the best environmental performance. It marks the frontrunners, the 10–20% best performing products in the EU market. The adopted EU Ecolabel Regulation 66/2010 sets the legislative guidelines under which Ecolabel criteria are developed. Currently EU Ecolabel criteria for imaging equipment (printers, copiers, MFDs) are being developed. A technical analysis was undertaken to assess environmental impacts along the product life cycle, environmental savings due to product recyclability, reusability and durability, and the avoidance of hazardous substances. Based on this analysis the environmental criteria were determined for: paper management, energy efficiency, minimized use of hazardous substances, reuse, recycling and end-of-life management, indoor air emissions, noise and ink/toner consumables. This work introduces the proposed requirements on the use of hazardous substances in the product, and substances related to environmental concerns in the product end-of-life phase.